1973 Dodge Dart Sport - Lawn Dart

As much as we'd like to fill our yards and garages with as many Mopars as we can afford, there are several reasons why most of us can't. County ordinances, deed restrictions, and financial restraints generally dictate how many cars we have, and sometimes having a spouse who isn't quite as into Mopars as you are can limit your number of cars as well. Fortunately for Richard Spotz of Pahrump, Nevada, his wife Kathy is very understanding of his hobby, helping him spot and score deals on various cars near Death Valley where they live. Richard never imagined it would lead to her scoring a car of her own.

Enjoying, collecting, and fixing up Mopars as much as her husband, Kathy is always on the lookout for cool cars. One day she spotted a '73 Dodge Dart Sport sitting in a yard and stopped to ask about it. The owner said it was for sale, and it had the original 340 engine still in it. Kathy liked the car but wasn't sure she'd heard of a 340 before so she told the owner she'd think about it and come back. Once home, Kathy asked Richard about the car and he told her how rare the 340 option was in the Dart. Knowing she wanted the car, they drove back quickly to see if they could negotiate a deal.

Since Kathy had found the car, they decided that she would do the negotiating, with Richard backing her up. This was a change, as Mopar purchases were usually the other way around. As it turned out, the owner really wanted to get rid of the car and only owned it because a friend had started to take it apart to fix up, then lost interest. The owner didn't really want it around anymore, so he quickly agreed to sell it to Kathy for $500. Scoring a deal like that, we wouldn't be surprised if Richard let his wife negotiate every time they buy a new car!

Once Richard and Kathy got the Dart home, they discovered it was a real, numbers-matching Dart Sport with a 340 engine and 727 transmission. Although it was partially disassembled, all the parts came with the car including the bucket seats and the hoodscoop. Since purchasing the car, Kathy and Richard have got it running, saying it runs very good and even has a Sure-Grip rear end. Better yet, the Dart isn't just a lawn ornament anymore; it will be treated to a complete restoration.